Researchers wanted to know if teaching pregnant women about food safety would help them make safer food choices. They started with 400 pregnant women and then focused on 144 who needed to learn more about food safety. After teaching these women through pamphlets and educational materials for two months, the researchers tested them again. The results showed that the women learned more, felt more confident about food safety, and actually started practicing safer food habits. This simple, low-cost teaching method worked really well and could help protect both mothers and their babies during pregnancy.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether teaching pregnant women about food safety through educational materials would help them understand, believe in, and actually practice safer food handling during pregnancy.
  • Who participated: 144 pregnant women in Iran who initially didn’t know much about food safety. Most were between 16-31 years old, had college education, lived in a city, and were housewives. About 30% were pregnant for the first time.
  • Key finding: After two months of food safety education using pamphlets, pregnant women significantly improved their knowledge, attitudes, and actual food safety practices. The improvements were measured and found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001), meaning the results weren’t due to chance.
  • What it means for you: If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, learning about food safety through simple educational materials can genuinely help you protect your health and your baby’s development. This is especially important because food safety during pregnancy affects not just you, but also your baby’s growth and future health.

The Research Details

This study used a two-phase approach. First, researchers gave a questionnaire to 400 pregnant women to see how much they knew about food safety and what they actually did in their kitchens. From this group, they selected 144 women who scored lowest on food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices. These 144 women then received educational materials (pamphlets) about food safety for two months. After the two months, the researchers gave them the same questionnaire again to see if anything had changed.

The study took place from February to November 2023 at healthcare centers in Mashhad, Iran. The researchers looked at whether factors like age, education level, and whether it was a woman’s first pregnancy made a difference in how much she learned.

This research design is important because it shows real-world results. Rather than just testing knowledge in a lab, researchers actually watched whether women changed their behavior at home. The two-phase approach also helped identify which women needed help the most, making the intervention more targeted and efficient.

The study included a good number of participants (144 in the main phase) and measured the same things before and after the education program, which helps show that the education caused the improvement. However, this type of study doesn’t have a comparison group of women who didn’t receive education, so we can’t be 100% certain the improvements were only from the teaching. The study was conducted in one city in Iran, so results might be slightly different in other places with different cultures or healthcare systems.

What the Results Show

The educational program was very successful. Women’s knowledge about food safety increased significantly after the two-month program. Their attitudes toward food safety also improved—meaning they became more convinced that food safety was important. Most importantly, their actual food safety practices improved, showing they weren’t just learning facts but actually changing how they handled food at home.

Among all the factors researchers looked at (like age, education, whether it was first pregnancy), only education level showed a clear connection to how much knowledge women had about food safety. Women with more education tended to know more about food safety to begin with. However, the good news is that the educational program worked well for women at all education levels.

The majority of women in the study were in their third trimester (the last three months of pregnancy), which is actually a good time to learn about food safety since they’re preparing for birth. Most participants were housewives, meaning they were the ones doing most of the food preparation for their families, making them key people to educate.

The study found that first-time mothers (30% of the group) benefited from the education just as much as women who had been pregnant before. This suggests that food safety education is helpful regardless of pregnancy experience. The fact that most women had college education suggests that education materials can be effective even for well-educated populations, not just those with lower education levels.

This research supports what other studies have shown: teaching people about food safety can actually change their behavior. The use of simple pamphlets as the teaching method is practical and affordable, which is important because many pregnant women around the world don’t have access to expensive healthcare programs. The finding that education level matters for baseline knowledge aligns with previous research, but the good news is that the educational program helped women at all education levels improve.

The study didn’t include a comparison group of pregnant women who didn’t receive the education, so we can’t be completely certain the improvements were only from the teaching and not from other factors. The study was done in one city in Iran, so the results might be different in other countries or cultures with different food safety concerns or healthcare systems. The researchers only followed women for two months after the education, so we don’t know if women kept up these safer practices over a longer period. Additionally, the study relied on women’s self-reported answers about their food safety practices, which might not always be completely accurate.

The Bottom Line

If you’re pregnant, seek out food safety education materials or classes—they genuinely help you learn and change your behavior. Focus especially on learning about foods that are risky during pregnancy (like unpasteurized dairy, raw meats, and unwashed vegetables). This recommendation has strong evidence behind it based on this research. Talk to your healthcare provider about food safety resources available to you. If you’re a healthcare provider or work in maternal health, consider using simple educational pamphlets about food safety—they’re low-cost and effective.

All pregnant women should care about this, especially those who are the primary food preparers in their households. Healthcare providers, midwives, and public health workers should care because they can use these findings to improve their education programs. Government agencies involved in maternal health should care because this is an affordable way to improve pregnancy outcomes. Partners and family members of pregnant women should also learn about food safety to support safer practices at home.

Based on this study, you can expect to see improvements in your knowledge within the two-month educational period. Changes in your actual food handling practices may start happening within weeks as you learn and apply new habits. The benefits to your baby’s development and your health would continue throughout your pregnancy and potentially beyond.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your food safety practices daily by logging which safe food handling steps you completed (washing produce, checking food temperatures, avoiding high-risk foods). Rate your confidence in food safety knowledge weekly on a scale of 1-10 to monitor improvement over time.
  • Use the app to receive daily food safety tips and reminders during pregnancy. Set notifications for high-risk foods to avoid (like soft cheeses, deli meats, raw eggs) and get practical alternatives. Create a checklist of safe food preparation steps to follow before cooking each meal.
  • Review your weekly food safety practice logs monthly to identify which areas you’re doing well in and which need more attention. Track your confidence scores to see your progress over time. Share your food safety practices with your healthcare provider during prenatal visits to discuss any concerns or areas where you need more support.

This research suggests that food safety education can help pregnant women improve their knowledge and practices, but it should not replace professional medical advice from your doctor or midwife. Every pregnancy is unique, and your healthcare provider can give you personalized recommendations based on your individual health situation. If you have specific concerns about food safety during pregnancy, please consult with your healthcare provider. This study was conducted in Iran and results may vary in different populations and healthcare settings.